It's tough going in the closing stages at Chepstow for Kieren Fallon and punters are going to find it hard to find winners at the track today. Photograph: David Davies/PA

2.45pm Market movers at Salisbury

Chris Cook: There's been plenty of support for Fair Trade in the big race here at Salisbury, the Group Three Sovereign Stakes at 4.15pm. David Elsworth's horse has been running well against some good horses but needs to settle better. His regular rider, Jimmy Fortune, is suspended so Jamie Spencer takes over and will presumably use his default hold-up tactics. If he can get Fair Trade to settle, they have a chance. The chestnut is 10-1 from 20-1 with Skybet and 10-1 from 16s with the Tote.

Today's best bets, by Tony Paley

Has there been a more difficult race meeting to find winners at in the history of the sport, bar the abomination that was banded racing, than the one punters are presented with at Chepstow tonight? All the races are handicaps, four of them with 16 or 17 runners and the other pair with 11 and 12; two of the heats are contested by horses that have never actually won a race before while all are of the lowest grade six apart from one which is a class five event.

Whoever framed this meeting must either be in league with the local bookies who will have been rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of this card orbeen busy devising a way to revive the creaking Levy and boost racing's dwindling finances.

The Flat cards are especially tricky today with Goodwood and Epsom difficult at the best of times and Beverley also featuring a number of near impossible handicaps so Salisbury might be the meeting to concentrate on.

Hearts Of Fire (4.15) has been highly tried on his last two outings but there appeared to be no fluke about the selection's excellent third at Royal Ascot in the St James's Palace Stakes to Canford Cliffs even though he went off at 33-1. Indeed, the race did not pan out for him in the home straight but for which he might have got closer. A reproduction of that today in this Group Three contest would be good enough.

Rokinhorsescience (6.40) is one that catches the eye with Tony McCoy up over the jumps at Stratford. He has shown his best form in blinkers and the addition of a tongue strap last time brought about more improvement as he won at Market Rasen with something in hand. He should make a bold bid to follow up under his penalty.

I was at Ascot on Saturday but did catch the debut of Redford at Newmarket for Dandy Nicholls. The son of Bahri was a very useful handicapper with Michael Bell before losing his way and when he went up for sale I must say my first thought was that Nicholls would be the ideal sort of trainer to revive him.

Redford went to Kevin Ryan's yard and hardly sparkled there but certainly showed glimpses of ability at the weekend. This is a horse well worth noting when he is dropped back to six furlongs and there is cut in the ground, circumstances in which he has shown his best form.

Hoofnote: For those interested in following the Gallego saga we left it here yesterday with the news that 7lb claiming apprentice Holly Hall had been booked to ride the horse, who was due to start favourite in the 4.40 at Salisbury that afternoon.

Imagine my surprise then as I watched the build-up to the race on Racing UK and noticed that Jim Crowley was now in the saddle. Holly Hall rode in the following race so clearly there was no reason why she could not ride.

At 09:08 the Press Association racing news service had put out the information that Hall had been booked. On further investigation I discovered that Jim Crowley was announced by the PA as the new rider at 13:49. The horse ran disappointingly and finished sixth and may be worth forgetting about but the shenanigans over the jockey aren't and the powers that be are going to investigate.

Tipping competition, day four

The leaders missed out yesterday and it remains a tight contest this week. Moidadembums moved up into fifth with winners at 5-1 and 5-2.

This week's prize is a £25 bet from those generous folks at Blue Square.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -9.

In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.